With the All-Star break approaching and the season’s halfway point in the rear-view, none of the NBA awards have been decided. About the only thing that can definitively be said is that Rookie of the Year is a two-man race.
When it comes to NBA Sixth Man of the Year award odds, Dallas guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. is now an even-money choice to earn the award, according to BetMGM. Despite Luka Doncic’s massive usage rate and Kyrie Irving producing over 25 points and five assists when he’s healthy enough to play, Hardaway has carved out his niche off the bench well enough to average 18.4 points, tops among all reserves.
We’ll break down the Sixth Man of the Year odds in this column, dissecting why Hardaway has emerged as the favorite and looking at top alternatives, since it’s never any fun to bet a future at even money.
NBA Sixth Man of the Year award odds
Here are the latest NBA Sixth Man of the Year award odds:
More: NBA futures odds | Best NBA betting promos and bonuses
Hardaway Jr. clear NBA 6th Man of the Year favorite
The Orlando Magic led Dallas 77-61 at halftime on Monday, utilizing their strong teamwork to build a huge lead that would ultimately be erased inside 10 minutes. The Mavs rode Hardaway’s 15-point third quarter to help swing the contest, as he was aggressive while Doncic wrestled with double teams designed to get the ball out of his hands.
Hardaway added another 13 points in the fourth in the 131-129 victory, finishing with 36 points and eight rebounds, his second-highest figures in both categories this season. The 11th-year guard has come off the bench almost exclusively for a few years now, but he’s never been this efficient or productive. His scoring clip of 18.4 points per game tops the 18.1 he amassed in 2018-19, when he arrived in Dallas from New York and started 17 of the final 19 games.
Hardaway is averaging a career-best 3.3 3-point makes per game, is shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc and is also on pace to surpass his best rebounding numbers ever. He started most of the games he appeared in by a slight margin last season, so he didn’t receive any votes. The last time he was in the mix for the award, he finished sixth in 2020-21, picking up nine third-place votes.
Hardaway is a deserving clubhouse leader and was second behind Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves at the quarter point, so his ascension makes sense as Darvin Ham has since moved Reaves back into the starting lineup.
Dallas’ 31-year-old top reserve has a 41-point game to his credit this month in which he made nine 3-pointers to help beat New Orleans. He’s averaged nearly 20 points per game in January and has scored in double-figures in all but five games this season.
More NBA awards betting: NBA MVP odds | NBA Rookie of the Year odds
Sacramento's Monk emerges as top threat to Hardaway Sixth Man of the Year odds
Sacramento sixth man Malik Monk is averaging career-bests in scoring (14.4) and assists (5.5), and he’s shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. It’s no surprise he’s emerged as the No. 2 option to be the NBA’s top reserve (), checking all boxes given that he impacts the game as a primary catalyst when he checks in, and is important enough to the operation that he’s often part of the closing unit.
Monk ranks seventh in scoring and fourth in assists among players who have spent significant time coming off the bench this season. He’s currently mired in a slump, shooting 17-for-47 from the field (36.2 percent) and 5-for-22 (22.7 percent) from 3-point range. For the month, he’s shot 31.7 percent from beyond the arc, so he’s trending in the wrong direction.
If he can straighten out his shot, the 25-year-old combo guard has a shot at overcoming Hardaway since he’s transformed his game from game-changing gunner to willing distributor. Monk scored a season-high 37 points in a Jan. 3 double-OT victory over Orlando, and he went for 28-7-7 in a mid-month overtime loss to the Bucks, so he’s still got explosive outings in him and should be able to get back on track.
If the Kings are able to repeat as Pacific Division champs and he remains a driving force off the bench, he’ll remain on the short list to win this hardware.
Related: Best NBA betting apps | 2024 NBA championship odds
Longshot bets worth monitoring among NBA 6th Man of the Year odds
Although Hardaway has moved into the favorite’s role and Monk has been a factor all season, many of the other candidates that were in the mix for top Sixth Man have had an eventful last few weeks since being in the conversation for this award.
Reaves is back to starting for the Lakers, and despite him and D’Angelo Russell being an oddly matched backcourt that opponents can pick on defensively, his skills as a facilitator will likely keep him among the first five. Immanuel Quickley, who finished as the runner-up to Malcolm Brogdon last season and was a top candidate for top reserve while with the Knicks, is now a starter in Toronto.
Brogdon may get dealt at the trade deadline by the Blazers and wind up as a key reserve, but he’s been mostly a starter in Portland.
Young scorers Cam Thomas (Nets) and Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors) are likely to bow out since both have begun starting games lately, supplying their attacks with some much needed firepower.
Here are some longshot candidates worth considering:
Bobby Portis ()
Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis finished third in the voting last season and has been productive again, so he’s a top candidate and should be first off Doc Rivers’ bench. Portis (12.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is potentially worth taking a flier on since a great run from his Bucks that catches the Celtics for the top seed would go a long way to swaying voters in his direction if he puts together an excellent stretch run.
Naz Reid ()
The other big forward worth watching among top contenders is Minnesota’s Naz Reid, who would start for many teams in the NBA but serves as a stretch-five type for the Wolves behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Reid (12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg) put together a couple double-doubles in January and is averaging a blocked shot per game while shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc. With the Timberwolves thriving, look for Reid to get a closer look.
Clippers Norman Powell () and Russell Westbrook ()
The Clippers have excelled for months, but candidates Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook may split the vote since both are equally vital to the cause off Tyronn Lue’s bench. Westbrook (11.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.6 apg) has accepted his role and excelled in serving as a game-changer, while Powell (13.4 ppg), who finished fourth last year, has scored 17 or more points in three of his past four games.
Others to consider
Cleveland’s Caris LeVert (), Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic (), Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin (), Orlando’s Cole Anthony () and Utah’s Jordan Clarkson () are the other candidates with realistic chances of catching Hardaway.
LeVert (15.6 ppg, 4.1 apg) has helped the Cavs stay afloat without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. He’s coming off his most productive month, shooting 37 percent from 3-point range while helping the Cavs play giant-killer in recent wins over the Bucks and Clippers. His scoring average ranks third among all reserves.
Bogdanovic (17.1 ppg) is the second-most prolific scorer behind Hardaway and may be in for an even larger role if Dejounte Murray gets traded and he continues to make his contributions off Quin Snyder’s bench. Mathurin (14.3 ppg) finished in the top-10 in this category as a rookie, while Anthony (12.6 ppg) has been steady as the Magic’s spark plug all season.
Clarkson, the 2020-21 recipient, has come off the bench for half of the Jazz’s games and is averaging 17.8 points. It’s unlikely he’d make a run at this award unless Utah makes a playoff push.
Another past recipient, 2016-17 winner Eric Gordon isn't showing up on odds boards for the award yet, but is settling in as the Suns’ sixth man and scored a January-high 23 points against the Heat on Monday. It wouldn’t be surprising to see his campaign pick up steam.
Bottom line: Hardaway has rightfully pulled ahead of the field, but there are plenty of live ‘dogs still thriving enough that you shouldn’t back the Mavs’ sixth man at even money. The most likely longshot, combining production with team success, is Cleveland’s LeVert. Both he and his team are trending in the right direction.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >